WW4: Before There Were Four
by nth
Summary: Ooh! Lookie! An update! 2 new chaps! Again! The CO's battle warlocks they can't see! We get to see the two demons the Source hired! Whoopee! Hope ya like it!
1. Before There Were Four I

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Before There Were Four

***************

Piper was lingering in the bathroom. She sighed, waiting for the news to come. She had felt the signs, and was now trying to find it out. If it was true.

She looked at the white device she was holding, as it slowly revealed to her what she had been wishing for a long time.

"I'm…"

*********

"Pregnant."

Phoebe and Paige sat on their seats, speechless.

And suddenly they shrieked in surprise.

"Piper!! Congratulations!"

"That's great! Oh my God!"

"Have you told Leo?"

For a moment two sisters celebrated as Piper sat in her chair, mulling over her own thoughts. Stopping in her outburst, Phoebe immediately sensed something amiss.

"Piper, what's wrong?"

Piper sighed, looking up to her sisters with a sad smile. "I just don't know if I can do this. I mean, I have been waiting for this all my life. It's what's been filling my dreams for years now. But when we became witches, I just didn't know what I wanted anymore. With all the demons, and warlocks and everything. How can I have a baby at the same time?"

Phoebe kissed her older sister, giving her a tight hug. "Piper… Honey, you know we will always be here for you. You've always been wanting something normal in life, and you got what you wished for," Phoebe said, "and we won't let anything take that away."

"Yeah," said Paige, also giving her sister a hug, "we're sisters for sisters. We'll help you through this." 

Sparkling light began to appear near the three sisters. As it settled, the light formed into the man Piper loved more than anybody, her husband, Leo.

"Hey. I heard someone call my name?"

*********

In a place where the cries of torment were never far away and evil ever-present, a hooded figure sat in a throne of ebony and bone. He stretched out a pale thin hand at his servant, who was standing near.

"Get me the Seer," he ordered, his slave exiting the cavern they were in. A few seconds later, he came back with a seductive, beautiful demonness, who had chains about her wrists. The Seer.

"Ahh, so this must be the new Source," said the Seer, a smile of mockery forming her lips.

"The Seer. They have told me much about you. Your beauty. And your betrayal."

She pretended to be shocked. "My betrayal? Surely you have heard lies. I simply told my last master the truth. Never have I been a traitor."

"Be careful, demon. I can see through your lies. I can kill you anytime I want."

The demonness sneered. "Oh, but you haven't. You can't deny my power. I am the only demon to have vision of the future."

"I can get demons and warlocks to steal a mere witch's power. Precognition is no stranger to me. I have felt its power before."

"No witch can compare to me. Only I have ever harnessed the power of the K'roeh Crystal. Most witches cannot call on a vision by will. As you may not know."

The Source fashioned a fireball in his hand and threw it at the Seer. She fell to the ground, her robe being consumed in flame. The Source snapped his fingers, and the fire disappeared.

"Do not get cocky with me, sister. You know all too well what I can do."

"And what you cannot. You can't destroy me, brother. My death will also be yours."

It was the Source's turn to sneer. "Who said anything about killing anyone? There are worse things, my sister. Do not argue with me again. Now, news of the Charmed Ones?"

The Seer's amber eyes sent daggers at the Source, as she turned to her crystal.

"Hmm, Piper, the eldest. She carries a child. As the child's father is a whitelighter, the child will be welcomed into the world sooner than most other humans."

The Source was getting impatient. "Is this of any importance to me?"

The Seer glared at her brother. "The Charmed Ones will be paying more attention to their sister, and the child she brings. You know not of human ways. This may lead to your downfall, brother."

The Source laughed. "Do you see this in the crystal, sister?"

"No. But if you make the correct choices, you will be able to defeat the Charmed Ones."

The Source was immediately interested. "How?"

The Seer sighed. "The crystal will not tell me. It will only show me possibility of a future, not of a certain event itself." She sensed her brother's sudden anger. "You are wise, brother. You will find a way," she added, hoping to soothe his ego.

Fortunately, it worked. "I have heard enough. You may go." He sent a ball of fire at the chains which held his sister, turning it into ash. Now freed, the Seer disappeared.

"Yes," said the Source, smiling. "I will find a way."

*********

Piper was in the manor kitchen, mixing cookie dough. It had been a while since she had put aside time for cooking. It seemed as if she had lost her touch. Her earlier baked cookies were too thin and crisp, and she preferred thick and chewy. Now, she was confident that her next batch would be perfect.

Smiling to herself, Piper remembered the moment she told her husband Leo that she was carrying a child. His outburst of joy had made her heart skip a beat, and as he lifted her up in his arms, she almost thought that she was going to have the baby right there and then. She had never seen Leo so happy.

Leo had explained that their baby would develop faster than normal human babies. "It's because of the whitelighter healing abilities," he had said, "that would manifest while the baby was growing."

Piper was thankful she had only told her friends that she was pregnant, and not how far off she was. According to Leo, she had only about seven months.

That was two weeks ago.

Phoebe and Paige had veered her away from work, letting Piper's best employee take over P3 for the moment. She would still be getting money for her club, and with Phoebe's rather famous advice column and Paige's job in social services, they were pretty well-to-do. Of course, they had not forgotten what they would need eventually: baby food, baby diapers, baby clothes, baby everything. Both sisters put in extra hours in their work. And what with the demon-vanquishing and innocent-saving, life was hectic in the Halliwell household.

Pulling away from her thoughts, Piper returned to her baking business, when she sensed something – no – smelled something…

"Oh no!" Piper hurriedly put on mitts as she took her burnt goods out of the oven.

"They're ruined," Piper muttered to herself. She got a spatula and began to scrape off the cookies into the garbage.

Leo orbed behind her, sniffing the air. "I smell cookies." He put his hands on his wife's shoulders, kissing her cheek.

"Unfortunately, you won't be able to taste them. Some are burnt, and the others aren't my best. I'm making a new batch," she replied, turning around and smooching him on the lips. "So what brings you here? You just remembered you had a wife to take care of?"

Leo put on a frown. "Piper… It's not like I'm not here all day. I check on you every few minutes. You know I have other charges."

"Can't you take, like, a day off? I mean, I'm carrying a child here. Don't the Elders know that?"

"They do. That's why I've come here to tell you that-"

The doorbell rang, interrupting Leo. "I'll get that," said Piper.

"No, wait, I have to tell you something first." Leo bounded after his wife, who was quickly nearing the front door.

Piper opened the door to show three people on the front porch.

"Hi," said a familiar voice. "Leo called us here."

Piper tried to remember who this young woman was. Suddenly, it clicked. "Your'e-"

"Yeah," she said, smiling. "Aviva. Hello Piper." 


	2. Before There Were Four II

Before There Were Four II  
  
"Hey! I'm home!" yelled Phoebe, as she entered the manor. Weird, she thought. Piper should be here. Maybe she's upstairs, or-  
  
Phoebe's heart jumped when she noticed the noises from the living room.  
  
"Phoebe! We're here!"  
  
Phoebe went into the living room. Piper, Leo were there and.  
  
"Aviva?!" Phoebe cried in surprise.  
  
"Phoebe!" Aviva stood up, giving her friend a hug.  
  
"What are you doing here?" said Phoebe. Looking over Aviva's shoulder, she noticed another familiar face. Brown hair left in a short cut, and glasses which leaned to one side. The name clearly popped in her head, as he smiled a lopsided grin. "Max?!"  
  
"Hi." He stood up, also hugging her.  
  
"Look at you!" It had been so long Phoebe couldn't almost remember. They had saved these people. When Prue was still.  
  
She then noticed the guy left on the couch. He had straight black hair, cut short, and had a thin face. Bushy eyebrows hid dark, intelligent eyes, while high cheekbones refined them. Thin lips placed above a goatee. He created an air of mystery around him, although most likely not on purpose. Phoebe knew girls would swoon over him. She would have too, if not for the fact that she was married to Cole.  
  
Phoebe raised an eyebrow. "And who might you be?"  
  
His lips made a smile, as he said, "I'm-"  
  
"Hello family." Paige entered the room. On seeing their visitors, her cheery tone turned into a puzzled voice. "Oh, is this another long-lost relative thing?"  
  
Piper stifled a laugh. "No, here." Piper went over to her as she introduced their guests. "Paige, meet Aviva, Max, and. sorry, what's your name again?"  
  
"Blake," said the guy on the couch, reaching out his hand.  
  
"Yeah, Blake. Aviva, Max, meet Paige. Our sister."  
  
There was an exchange of hand-shaking, as they all sat down. When it was over, Piper spoke up. "Leo has something to tell us." Leo coughed, clearing his throat. "Let me start off by introducing Paige to our guests. Piper and Phoebe's mother had a baby with her whitelighter. Our bosses, the Elders, would not let whitelighters develop feelings for their charges, and having a child with a witch was out of the question. So their mother and her whitelighter brought their daughter to a church, leaving her in a nun's care. When Prue passed away, Piper used a spell that would bring Paige to them. Reconstituting the power of three."  
  
Paige smiled at their guests, especially at Blake. "And here I am!"  
  
"Okay we've got that down. What are they here for?" Phoebe said, referring to the guests.  
  
"Well, Piper is now pregnant. The Elders have already gave us their blessing when Piper and I were wed. So now, they think Piper should be given some time away from her duty as a Charmed One. And I'm going to be with Piper for the next few months. No whitelighter duties."  
  
"Honey! That's wonderful!" said Piper, hugging her husband.  
  
"And Aviva, Max, and Blake are here for the same purpose, to protect Piper and our child," continued Leo.  
  
"But wait," Phoebe interrupted, "Aviva, you don't have any powers. You lost them when we vanquished Kali."  
  
"Well, when Leo called me, I didn't have any time to prepare."  
  
Following the brief moment of silence after Aviva's joke were bursts of laughter.  
  
Leo could not help but snicker. "The Elders worried more over your identities, and not the powers your guardians would have. That's why we have Max and Aviva."  
  
"And Blake?" asked Piper looking over to their guest.  
  
"Blake is a Warren witch, your distant relative. Blake's one of the strongest witches of our time. We can trust him. Right Blake?"  
  
Blake smirked. "Yeah." He caught Paige's gaze. "You can trust me."  
  
"I'm not getting all these," Paige said. "Two years ago, the Elders didn't want you to get married, and now they're protecting your child. I mean, sure a lot of things can change in two years, but what's the deal?"  
  
Piper, turning Paige's speech over in her mind, turned her gaze at her husband. "Leo?"  
  
Leo looked back at his wife and her sisters with concern, unsure of how they would take the news. "You've already vanquished the Source. And the Elders have decided. that you don't have to be witches anymore. That our children will be the next Charmed Ones." 


	3. Before There Were Four III

Before There Were Four III  
  
Piper lay on her bed, the sun's rays pouring into her bedroom. Her husband slept beside her, snoring quietly. Her thoughts kept coming back to what he had told her and her sisters yesterday.  
  
...you don't have to be witches anymore...  
  
She turned on her side, looking out the window. Outside, birds were perched on branches, singing the songs of the early morning.  
  
...our children will be the next Charmed Ones...  
  
She faced her husband, sleeping peacefully, with eyes closed and lips slightly parted. Piper smiled and gave her husband a light kiss, as she silently left the bed and began to dress.  
  
~~~~~~ "Good morning!" Piper greeted her husband as he went into the kitchen. Her sisters had already joined her earlier, and were now taking bites out of English muffins.  
  
"So, when are our guests coming for lunch?" Paige asked their whitelighter, as she spread cream cheese on her pastry.  
  
Leo looked at his watch, which flashed 9:34 in green illumination. "In a while." They had agreed to have lunch so they could all get to know each other, especially Paige, who knew nothing about their guests.  
  
Everyone heard a soft tinkling, which meant that Leo was being called by the Elders.  
  
"Oh no, Leo?" Piper frowned at her husband worriedly.  
  
"It'll only take a sec." Leo kissed his wife before orbing away.  
  
Piper sighed. "And here I thought I'd have him for three straight months."  
  
"Aw, don't worry about it honey," said Phoebe, comforting her sister. "Leo is still a whitelighter. Maybe it's about us."  
  
"Mmm-hmm. I'm sure he'll be back by the time the others get here." Paige munched away on her breakfast, and smiling, said, "So what's the skinny on their powers?"  
  
"Well, Aviva," Phoebe replied, "had powers when a demon gave them to her. But when we vanquished the demon, she lost her powers too. She was the first witch we came across back when we first got our powers."  
  
"Technically, she wasn't a witch because Kali gave her the witchy powers," told Piper. "Kali?" asked Paige.  
  
"The demon."  
  
"Ohh."  
  
"And I remember, Prue- Prue didn't trust her. And she was right, in a way, like she always was."  
  
Piper smiled to herself. "If only she could see us now. Prue was the first to help Max, you know. I was all too busy and she just jumped right into it."  
  
"Max? The kid?"  
  
"Yeah." Piper took a muffin from the basket. "Prue found out that he had a power that was like hers. Psychokinesis."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Moving things he can't see."  
  
"Ohh."  
  
"But they could have evolved," Piper added, "like ours did."  
  
"Hmm. A guy witch."  
  
"There is still Blake, you know." Phoebe nudged Paige's arm. "And I see you two are hitting it off quite well."  
  
Piper grinned at Paige. "You should. It's not everyday you meet a cute guy. Much less a cute guy witch."  
  
"Thanks, guys." Paige put her arms around her two sisters. "Where would I be without you two?"  
  
"Sisterless, powerless, and probably dateless," said Phoebe with a smile. "Hey, have you asked what his powers are?"  
  
"No, not yet." The doorbell suddenly rang. "But I will soon."  
  
"I'll get the door," volunteered Piper, going down the hall.  
  
"I'll clean up," said Phoebe, starting to collect the dishes.  
  
"And I'll get ready," Paige said, bounding up the stairs.  
  
~~~~~~ "So the Charmed Ones have been given help from the Elders. Isn't that right, Seer?"  
  
The Seer rolled her eyes and looked at the Source. "Yes. The Elders have enlisted the aid of two witches, and a mortal. The mortal, I understand that she has fallen into evil before, through Kali."  
  
"Fools. Don't they see her weakness? A human who has fallen into darkness before will be even more susceptible."  
  
"But you cannot use her," said the Seer, gazing listlessly at her crystal. "Once the Charmed Ones suspect evil at work, she will be the first in their list."  
  
"Do you not trust my judgement, sister?" growled the Source.  
  
"I apologize, my brother," said the Seer, her eyes on the Source. She looked back at her crystal, smiling at the future which appeared in it. In the back of her mind, she added, "don't say I didn't warn you."  
  
~~~~~~ "Well! That was a nice lunch!" said an exhilarated Paige, entering the Halliwell Manor.  
  
Piper hung her coat on the rack. "Of course you'd had a nice lunch. You were just all over Blake the whole time."  
  
"Yeah," Phoebe agreed, "you didn't even try to talk to Aviva and Max."  
  
"Of course I did!" exclaimed Paige, settling herself on a couch in the sitting room. "Max has telekinesis, and remote vision, which he can use together at the same time. Aviva's studying in San Diego, and her favorite color is black."  
  
Phoebe sat down beside her. "And?"  
  
"And. okay, so I didn't listen that much. Sue me. What I do know is that Blake's last name is Williams. He's studying medicine, and sociology. He loves to swim and play water polo. And that he can shape-shift and throw energy bombs."  
  
"Cool," remarked Piper.  
  
"Very cool." Paige smiled at her sisters.  
  
Piper was just about to enter the kitchen when she quickly frowned. "Something doesn't feel right."  
  
"What?" Phoebe asked. "There's something. I can't put my finger on it." Piper stood up and began to pace around the sitting room. Suddenly she threw up her hands, blowing up the coat rack near the front door.  
  
"Piperreaaah!" Paige screamed, as the coat rack slowly reconstructed, a humanoid form taking shape.  
  
"Chameleon!" Phoebe yelled. Raising her hand, she cast a bolt of electricity at the demon. The chameleon dove away, and upon getting on its feet, sneered at the sisters.  
  
Piper flicked her hands again, and the demon began to convulse. In mid-explosion, Piper froze the demon. "Pheebs?"  
  
Phoebe nodded and sent a wave of electicity at the demon pieces, incinerating each one. Phoebe crinkled her nose at the putrid smoke. "Paige, will you do the honors?"  
  
"Certainly. Demon bits." Periwinkle lights surrounded the chameleon remains, orbing them to a trashcan nearby.  
  
Satisfied, Phoebe put her hands on her hips. "We are getting better and better everyday."  
  
"Well," began Piper, going into the kitchen, "with the recent addition of your electrokinesis, our powers are growing stronger by the week."  
  
Paige gave her sisters a worried look. "Which brings us to the question: why is there a chameleon in the house?" 


	4. Before There Were Four IV

Before There Were Four IV  
  
"You underestimate the Charmed Ones." " The Seer gazed at the Source, who sat on his throne, fuming over the Charmed sisters' vanquish of his spy. "They've encountered a chameleon before; it's not surprising that they sensed his presence. These demons aren't known to be very clever," continued the Seer. "So what are you going to do now?" "What I had planned from the beginning." The Source pointed at a demon nearby. "Get me Vanrata and Sthet," he commanded. "It's time to put this into action."  
  
Paige shuffled around the kitchen, looking for the ingredients to her concoction among the kitchen shelves. "A-ha!" Paige exclaimed on finding some arrowroot. She went back to the counter, scanning the different herbs, seeing if she forgot anything. Contented, she began to drop the items into the boiling pot. "Paige." "Yeeaah!" Paige screamed, dropping more ginger into the pot than she wanted. "Leo!" "What?" asked Leo from the kitchen doorway. He made his way around the room, looking at the potion Paige was working on. "Did I startle you?" She gave Leo an annoyed look. "Yes, Master of the Obvious." With a fork, Paige began to take out some ginger from her cooking. "So, what did you startle me for?" "We have a meeting!" yelled Piper from the sitting room. "Come in here now!" "Can't it wait?" Paige yelled back. She then looked at Leo, who then orbed out, leaving Paige to sigh and follow.  
  
Piper and Phoebe were waiting in the living room when Leo, and Paige orbed in. "Well it sure did take you two a long time," said Phoebe. She looked at Paige, asking, "What were you cooking anyway?" "Just a little something I hope will help us in this problem of ours. So what's up?" "Well, Leo has some news for us." Piper then directed her hands, pointing to Leo. "Uh, well it looks like there's a new Source in town, and he already knows we're having a baby." For a few seconds the Charmed Ones were speechless. "Wha-What?? A new Source? Already?" cried Phoebe. "When do we ever get a break around here?" "The Elders were just as surprised as you were. I guess a demonic faction was already in waiting for the old Source to be killed." "Figures," muttered Piper. "The only time I really need a time-out and a new, big bad guy decides to come to town." She pushed herself deeper into the sofa, pouting. Leo comforted his wife, taking her hand and clutching it tight. "Piper, all hope is not lost. I mean, we still have three - no - five people with us. Darryl, Cole, Aviva, Max and Blake." "Most likely the Source knows that too." Piper sighed, pulling her husband closer to her. A silence came over them all. "Um," started Paige, breaking the quiet, "well, I've been cooking up this potion, see. Um, it's a protec-" Instantly, Piper's eyes lit up. "What am I hearing? You found a protection spell?" The two older sisters looked expectantly at their sibling. "Well?" asked Phoebe. "I didn't find it. I made it myself," answered Paige proudly. Leo shook his head at the reply. "Wait a minute. You can't make a protection spell." Loud popping sounds from the kitchen grabbed Paige's attention. "Oh! That's my potion!" Quickly Paige walked to her bubbling brew. "Wait, Paige." Leo followed the ecstatic sister, Piper and Phoebe coming in the kitchen with him. Paige hovered over the pot, dropping assorted herbs. "Let me look at that," Phoebe said, going over to the stove. Instantly, she was hit by the sour smell wafting from the pot. "Ecch, what did you put into this thing?" "Things I know are associated with magical protection. Everything you taught me."  
  
Piper cocked her head to the side. "Uh-huh. Paige, aren't you a little overdoing it? I mean -" Piper neared her sisters and was overpowered by the vapor. "Oh, God, that stinks bad."  
  
"Well the worse it smells, the better. Isn't that like a witch's law or something?" joked Paige, as she stirred the concoction.  
  
"Paige." Leo gave the youngest sister a stern look. "Why do you think there aren't any protection potions in the book?"  
  
"Because they never tried?"  
  
"Because they had tried. And they didn't work."  
  
"Well, maybe we can do it. I mean, we are the strongest witches on the face of the planet. We killed the Source for God sakes. How can't we make a protection brew?"  
  
Piper nodded. "Paige has a point. We've never really tried, and who's to say we can't do it?"  
  
Leo sighed, giving up. No one really did know after all, and he guessed that nothing bad could happen. Hopefully.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Phoebe. "It's not for personal gain, and we couldn't possibly botch up the potion if we all do it." In mock anger, Paige pinched Phoebe on the arm. "Ow!" "I like my potion just the way it is," stated Paige, a smile forming on her lips. She quickly got a pinch of salt from the counter and sprinkled it into the mix. "A little salt. and it's done!" Piper, Phoebe and Leo stared at the stagnant, rusty liquid. "Okay. Where's the explosion? A flash of light? Not even a little 'poof'?" Paige rolled her eyes at Piper. "Just because it doesn't have a 'poof', doesn't mean it's not a potion." Cautiously, she took the pot from the fire, letting out a cry of surprise. "Ooh! It's not even the least bit hot. See? It is a potion. And if ever it doesn't work, we'll be sure it won't do any harm." Paige continued pouring the pot's contents into little bottles. "You can't be sure about that," disagreed Piper, watching her sister prepare the mixture. "Here," she said, handing a corked bottle to the hesitant eldest sister. "Won't bite ya," she assured. Giving in, Piper took the potion, dropping it into her pocket. "Fine. I'll take your word for it. But if something happens-" "Um. Paige," interrupted Phoebe after receiving her own bottle, "how are we supposed to use these things?" 


	5. Before There Were Four V

Before There Were Four V  
  
Piper and Phoebe were in the conservatory, lounging around in wicker chairs, enjoying the blessed serenity. It was one of those rare moments when no trouble of the Wiccan kind was brewing.  
  
"Mmmm." said Phoebe, raising a glass of iced tea to her plump red lips. "I could do this all night."  
  
"More iced tea?" asked Cole holding a pitcher of the cold drink in one hand and an empty glass in the other. He had come from work as soon as he could when he heard the attack of the chameleon. Strangely though, no other demonic danger had surfaced for the rest of the day.  
  
Phoebe gave a wide smile, saying, "Yes, please." Her husband slowly refilled her glass, and then filled his own. "Thanks, hon. You are the best hubby in the world," she purred, giving Cole a kiss.  
  
"Aint that the truth," replied Cole. "Piper?" he offered.  
  
Piper shook her head. "Nah. To much caffeine may be bad for the baby."  
  
Cole nodded and slowly seating himself in a chair, he took a long sip out of the tall glass of iced tea.  
  
Paige then tramped into the conservatory, fiddling with a bottle of the potion she made.  
  
"Still haven't figured it out?" asked Piper with a smug expression.  
  
"No. I mean yes. I mean I still haven't figured it out." Paige pouted as she sat herself in a basket chair, dropping the bottle onto her lap. "It's obvious that we can't drink it. Just smelling the stuff makes me puke. Plus there are a lot of undesirable herbs in there. Which also crosses it out as a lotion."  
  
The soft sound of the doorbell rang throughout the manor.  
  
"Hey guys! Pizza's here!" yelled Leo.  
  
"Pizza," said Paige, as she orbed the food to a wicker table near her.  
  
"Paige!" hollered Leo, along with Piper, Phoebe and Cole.  
  
"Oops. Sorry. Couldn't help myself." Paige shrugged as she leaned over to get a slice of pizza.  
  
"At least wait a few minutes for the pizza guy to be pa- Paige!" Piper screamed, the bottle on Paige's lap rolling off her legs.  
  
Green light flashed in the conservatory as the bottle crashed upon the floor, blinding Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Cole.  
  
"Aaah!" they screamed in unison.  
  
"Be glad, that I'd already paid the guy when you orbed the pizza. I can't believe you were so careless," lectured Leo, coming into the room. Immediately Leo was puzzled by his family's disordered state. "What happened?"  
  
"I think my potion just worked," said Paige, massaging her eyes. "Ow."  
  
"Ditto," said Phoebe, blinking. "I'm still seeing spots."  
  
"Whoo!" exclaimed Cole, shaking his head and blindness away. "Everyone okay?"  
  
"Paige..." started Piper, "if this little potion of yours..."  
  
"Well does anyone feel different?" asked Paige. "Everyone's okay, right?"  
  
Stares were traded between the Charmed Ones and Cole.  
  
"I guess so," said Phoebe. She slipped her hand into her pocket and took out the bottle of Paige's potion. "Can you keep this for me, Piper? We might need a counterspell."  
  
"Right. Good thinking." replied Piper. "Paige, did you list the things you put in your potions?"  
  
"Umm..." Paige gave a shrug, smiling embarrassedly as Piper huffed in dismay.  
  
"I was sooo expecting that."  
  
Just then a demon shimmered behind Piper in the sitting room. His hand rolled into a claw as black energy formed around his fingers.  
  
"Piper! Look out!" yelled Leo, pointing at their attacker. The demon threw his ball of black flame at the group as Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Cole searched around the room. Altogether, they screamed in frustration:  
  
"Where?!" 


	6. Before There Were Four VI

Before There Were Four VI  
  
Paige flew through the air, crashing into a wicker table. For a moment black fire burned her. When it seemed that the dark energy would consume her, the flame abruptly dissipated. Adrenaline rushing through their blood, Piper and Phoebe rushed to their sister. Paige groaned as the unseen warlock prepared another fireball, when Leo tackled him and sent him sliding across the floor. Cole stood by, watching the scene and searching for the warlock in the parlor. "Where is he?!" He yelled. Soon up on their feet, Leo traded punches with the warlock, who was hardly being fazed by the blows. As soon as Leo let down his guard, the warlock took him by the throat, and flung him onto the wall. "Piper, freeze him!" shrieked Phoebe, holding Paige's head in her hands. With a flick of her fingers, Piper froze the room. "Are you okay?" she asked Paige, who was now trying to pick herself up off the floor. "Yeah," Paige said. Her breath came in short bursts, and a gray-blue smoke rose from her clothes. "A little on the crispy side, but still okay." As the sisters helped Paige up, Cole took to aiding Leo, who was starting to awaken. "Hey, you alright?" In reply, Leo nodded - then he saw the warlock fighting Piper's freeze. "He's coming to!" Hastily Piper threw her arms, intending to explode the hidden foe, but succeeded only in blowing up the arm of the couch near him. Without hesitation, the warlock stood and flung another black ball at Piper. "Piper!" cried Leo, seeing his wife helpless and unaware of the fate awaiting her. "Aah!" Piper opened her eyes, suddenly aware that she was still standing. Where nothing but a fireball was a few seconds ago, there now was a black feather in front of her, lazily floating down onto the floor. On landing, the feather was instantly surrounded by white orbs, as it changed back into the sphere of black energy burning the carpet beneath it. "What the hell?!" "Leo!" screamed Phoebe. "Left of the coffee table! Quick!" On his word, Phoebe sent forth a bolt of lightning from her fingertips, stunning the warlock temporarily as he crumpled to the floor. "Is he gone?" "No," replied Leo "Okay, he's not vanquished. This is one tough warlock." "Power of Three?" asked Paige. "Power of Three," agreed Piper. Taking the hands of her sisters into her own, she began the chant. "The Power of Three will set us free, the Power of-" "Guys, where's the pizza?" interrupted Cole. "What?!" asked a confused Piper, as she looked back on the wicker table where the pizza box had disappeared from. "Ah!" she yelled, as an invisible hand knocked her into the air. Paige gasped as she orbed hastily to Piper, and on catching her, carried her slowly to the ground. "Oh. Paige. The baby-" stammered Piper, once they orbed in. Paige held her sister, trying her best to comfort her. "It's okay, Piper. You're okay." "Aaaah!" screamed Phoebe, as she was thrown onto the set of wicker chairs. "Why you." Phoebe pointed her hand at the invisible demon, blasting him with a lightning bolt. Phoebe looked to Leo. "Is he down?" "Yeah! Power of Three, quick!" said their whitelighter, as he helped his wife to her feet. "The Power of Three will set us free." Paige began. "The Power of Three will set us free." Piper chanted. "The Power of Three will set us free!" cried Phoebe. The chant continued with the voices of the Charmed Ones growing louder and louder. The power of their magic built quickly; electricity could be felt all around them. And then- A loud boom reverberated through the manor as the two demons exploded. The three sisters looked away, covering their eyes from the ashes which flew away from the blast. "No more demons?" asked Piper to her husband, as she put her hand on her stomach. "No more demons," answered Leo, as he moved close to her wife and gave her a hug. Paige blew her bangs away from her eyes, and bit her lip in worry. "Okay, um, I will find a counterspell to my. mistake-" "'Mistake' hardly describes the situation, Paige." Piper spat. "Not only did you make it harder for us to kill any demon, you've endangered our lives, and the baby's!" "Okay Piper, calm down," said Phoebe as she comforted her older sister, "it was an accident. We'll fix this in the morning. Right, Paige?" Paige nodded in reply. "I'm sorry Piper." A sigh escaped Piper's lips, having forgiven the youngest sister. "I'm. sorry too, Paige. It's just- the baby and all this demons waltzing right into our house." She walked up to Paige, giving her a hug. "You go now and rest, sweetie." Phoebe said. Carefully, she began to lead her up the stairs. "Leo," she called, and when her sister's husband came to her side, the two ascended the manor staircase. Then Phoebe faced Paige and Cole. "Well, we've got a lot on our hands." Paige gave her sister a pout. "I said I was sorry." Phoebe could not help but smile. "I know. Hopefully no demons will be showing up in the middle of the night. Think you can remember the things you put in your potion?" "I'll try." "Trying won't do it Paige," interrupted Cole. "Demons will come after you. Not seeing will make them pretty hard to vanquish," he said sarcastically. "That's the best we can do for now, I suppose," said Phoebe, with a yawn. "I'm beat. Tomorrow, 'kay?" "Yeah. Tomorrow," replied Paige. "Right. Good night hon." Phoebe gave her sister a light pat on the shoulder, and looked up at Cole, who nodded and followed her as she went up to their room. 


	7. Before There Were Four VII

Before There Were Four VII  
  
The pizza delivery guy stared up at the manor as the lights inside began to turn off, one by one. When it seemed that all was still in the Halliwell manor, he began to walk down the pavement. Hiding beneath a tree, he collapsed on the street and a black mist seeped out of his nostrils. It came to rest in mid-air beside a man who stood still, looking intently at the strange dark cloud. The man looked around him. Seeing no one, he whispered, "Clear." Slowly a woman began to form from the cloud. Faded blue jeans made themselves visible, while a deep purple cardigan solidified around the human torso and a long chestnut-brown mane flowed down her back. Her transformation complete, he grabbed the demoness by the throat. "What happened?" he growled. "Let. Go," she hissed through gritted teeth. Then, her lips puckered as she breathed on him an acrid green gas. The demon yowled in pain, his hands instantly covering his face, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air around him. "There, there Sthet," she cooed, as she held her partner's head gently. Pulling him close to her, as if to kiss, she blew a cool wind on his burns. His skin, red and blotchy, immediately began to heal by itself. "Now isn't that better?" Angered by her arrogant show of powers, Sthet pushed the demoness Vanrata away, sending her small frame sprawling onto the sidewalk. "Ow! That hurt that time," She stood up, brushing the dust away from her clothes. "I'm getting tired of your little games, V," said Sthet, who towered over her with his six-foot build, which was clad in black sleeveless tee and black pants. The moonlight reflected off of his olive skin, showing his muscular physique. His shoulder-length locks of raven black shone in the darkness. Admiring his beauty, she smirked and touched her hand to his face, brushing away the stray strands. "Hmm. For a moment there you almost looked like an angel, the moon behind you and all." "Don't make me laugh." "You know, you'd look so much better with short hair. It's all the rage now. You should let me do it; I'm pretty handy with a scissors," she teased, running the silky mass of hair through her fingers. "Your fascination with human ways both sickens and amuses me." "You're still talking like that?" observed V, annoyed. "Well you'd better get used to acting human, we won't be able to get close to the witches with you sounding all ancient," she said, moving his mouth with her fingers. In quick motion, Sthet had V's hand in his grasp. "Enough." He lowered her arms, his grip tightening on her wrists. "What happened to the Charmed Ones?" "They vanquished the chameleons, of course," she answered. "I saw what I wanted to see: how the sisters acted upon a threat. Oh, and to add to that, it seems the youngest, Paige, has created a little problem for her family. She made a potion that erases the presence of demons from their vision. Only their whitelighter was unaffected." "Won't that affect our plans?" "It will affect you, most probably. Even if I possess someone, they won't notice a thing." "I don't know why you couldn't just let me morph into that," he said, pointing to the unconscious pizza delivery guy, "and we'd have beaten them already. I still can't understand why we're taking our time devoting ourselves to the study of the witches." V rolled her eyes, uttering a sigh of exasperation "You know the Source. He wants the child alive, and obviously we can't kill the witch without killing the child. So we'll have to wait until it's born. And if the Seer's premonition is right, we won't have long to wait. For the time being, we'll have to watch the witches." On that note, V looked at her ally, awaiting his response. When it was apparent that he wasn't going to answer, she shrugged and busied herself with her long blue nails. Sthet huffed, irritated by V's pomposity. He then turned to look at the manor. "So what do we do now?" "We use the opportunity. We make sure she doesn't make a counterspell, then we wait for the baby." 


End file.
